Strabismus: an assessment of educational content on social media

Purpose: To conduct a quality assessment of educational content on social media for patients with strabismus.

Methods: TikTok and Instagram were searched for several hashtags. Educational videos meeting inclusion criteria under #strabismus and #lazyeye were analyzed using the Global Quality Scale (GQS), mDISCERN, and PEMAT-A/V tools. Statistical analysis was conducted to assess associations between video quality, metrics, and authorship.

Results: Among the top 50 videos for #strabismus and #lazyeye on both platforms (n = 200), educational videos aimed at patients (n = 54) scored an average mDISCERN of 2.8/5, GQS of 3.3/5, PEMAT-A/V understandability of 78.5%, and actionability of 42.3%. Pearson's correlation analysis showed views and likes to be negatively correlated with mDISCERN and GQS scores (p < .05), but positively correlated with PEMAT-A/V actionability (p < .05). Content created by healthcare professionals, including optometrists and ophthalmologists, scored higher mDISCERN, GQS and PEMAT-A/V understandability scores than patient-created content (p < .05).

Conclusion: This study highlights the significant role of social media in disseminating health information on strabismus. Educational content for strabismus has marked heterogeneity, and lower-quality videos yield more views and likes, which could lead to patients following misleading or incomplete medical advice. The positive correlation between actionability and lower-quality videos is particularly concerning, as these videos, while actionable, may encourage patients to take steps based on poorly explained information. To enhance social media as an educational tool, there is a clear need for more high-quality content created by qualified healthcare professionals, to ensure that patients receive accurate, safe guidance.